House of Leaves

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
     

I'm truly not even sure what to say about this book. Never before have I read ANYTHING like this, and in a way I hope I never do again. But do not take that as my regret at having read it in the first place. The amount of work that went into the creation of this book was immense.



I found myself constantly blurring the lines of fiction/non-fiction, going back to read what it was classified as and not sure if it was real or imagines.



This book is so many things: Crazy, witty, horrific, imaginative, intellectual, a mash of so many things, I really don't even know what to classify it as.





It touches upon the paranormal, the mythological, architecture, math, science, spirituality, abuse in all forms, good and bad passions, the imagination and what can come from it and a house that attunes to all who enter to find the darkness which knows no light.



There are 3 stories and more within this tome. The story of Navidson's Documentary and how it was made and those involved. Zapano, a blind man who worked up until his death to compile this story of the completion of Navidson, and then the unlikely Johnny Truant whose footnotes cause loads if entertainment and unrelated adventures during his own compilation of the works of those before him.


This is one of those books that could never be recreated and should be read once for the sheer curiosity of it, but it's not one you are likely to want to keep close to you in life, for it must travel on to others, and be shared as a contemplative genius of being put together. Those prone to fright from a simple horror/psychological thriller may want to shy away from this one... or let their curiosity get the better of them. 5 stars for originality alone
     

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The Flip

The Flip is written by Michael Phillip Cash and is about a married couple that flips houses.

Julie is the wife and works full time, devoting her additional time to flipping houses in hopes of gaining enough capital to one day quit her job.  Brad is the husband who is very handy at fixing things around the house, which led him to meet Julie.  He does most of the dirty work with the house flipping.

When discovering a house with a price that is just “too good to be true”, Julie can’t pass up the opportunity to fix up an old house on Bedlam street in Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island.  There are so many quirky and antique features that she can’t help but fall in love with, even dreaming on fixing it up enough to turn it into a Bed & Breakfast.  Brad does not feel the love for the house the Julie does and views the project as more than it is worth.  He finds himself hating the house more with each moment he spends gutting it out and fixing it up.  Not long before the project is begun, there are a series of strange occurrences that seem to only be logical if explained by paranormal behavior. 

Cash has written a book that delivers believable humans, and also paints a picture of paranormal duo with a rich history between them.  It is very interesting to read this book from the living and the paranormal aspects equally.

The Flip is a fast paced read and easy to get into, it is easy to picture many of the features and events that take place.  Unfortunately I was also left with a lot of unanswered questions in relation to things such as the sentinels.  I couldn’t find the rapid pace of the romance between certain characters as being plausible to suddenly speed up and show acceptance with such a small event.  It made no sense that this power would not have been exerted over the annoying paranormal duo before now. 

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars.  The beginning and the middle of the book were spectacular, but the end and the wrap up were enough to bring a lesser book down to a mere 3 stars.  The quality of Cash’s overall writing and the way that a reader can get into the book make it hard to award less than the 4 stars.  I wish the ending was completely scrapped and rewritten, or perhaps the books had more events to lead up the final outcome.  I would definitely read another of his books, and hopefully there will be better closure.  I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys reading fiction, historical fiction, romance, paranormal, ghost, military, civil war era, etc.

*I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Possession of my Soul

Possession Of My Soul is written by Kia Carrington-Russell and is the first book in the Three Immortal Blades Series. The story revolves around the main character Karla, who is an unassuming teenage girl who finds herself thrust amidst a war, where each side of the fight remains unclear in their true intentions.

Karla as a character is relatable. She isn’t annoying in a way that some main characters can be. She finds herself coming into her own with womanhood as well as new-found abilities. My main complaint about her, was that I don’t think that any of her love interests were believably built up. I wanted there to be more of a background to the emotions. There is a lot of thrust upon emotions in terms of those who acquire her fancy. Otherwise, I enjoyed getting to see her find herself and find ways to stand up to adversity and find a strength she never knew she was capable of.

The story itself is an interesting take on fantasy. There are a lot of typical factors, but shown in a new light. There are Starkorfs who are essentially vampires, but almost in a zombie type of fashion if they are not of very pure blood. There was not any real detail about the actual way that one would become a Starkorf, or if it is merely something that one is born into. If so, it would be interesting to know more details about how actual procreation worked, if it was any different than humans, those sorts of aspects. Given that this is the first book of the series, it would be good to see if that was explained in more detail in later books.

I did enjoy the ancillary characters and getting to know them. They did seem as if to be from a distance as a reader. The connection with their emotions wasn’t quite there. Truly reading this book felt like it was going to be a 3 star type of book about 75% of the way in. Kia definitely pulls it out for the last part of the book which caused me to up my rating to 4 stars. She definitely ends in a blaze of glory and leaves her ready to read more of the story.

Overall I give this book 4/5 stars. Kia has potential as an author as she hones her writing skills. I hope to see more of a connection into the feelings of the characters of a world that she does a great job describing. I love a lot of the new twists on unique abilities and would love to read an entire book about the elementals as well as some background about a particular wolf creature. If you are into fantasy, paranormal, young adult, fiction, woman empowering, romance, etc, you may very well find yourself interested in this book.

*I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Witch's Revenge

The Witch’s Revenge is written by Danny Odato and is his debut novel.  It features around an Indian village that becomes plagued by unexplainable accidents and deaths.

Let’s talk about the good parts first.  The base story of a girl out for revenge who learns dark craft is intriguing, and the village has likeable enough characters.  There is great potential in this story and it was different enough from other common topics that it was enjoyable.  It was apparent that Danny Odato took the time to understand certain close-knit aspects of a small Indian community.

This was easily identifiable as a debut novel by one main feature: editing, or lack thereof.  My first problem with this book arose from the cover photo.  There is a young woman in black that is very obviously not of Indian descent.  This struck me as unfitting, when so much of the book is featured around the importance of a traditional Indian village.  With so much focus on tradition, it seemed weird that there were a couple of Christian references to God from a traditional sense that would be focused more on a specific God and not just “God” in general, in Hindu belief. 

Danny Odato uses a multitude of Indian words, but offers no glossary and a lack of any explanation within the book for many of the words.  As a reader you are forced to try to take the context around the word to try to translate what he was meaning, and in some cases, you are left with a guess that is never confirmed, even after completion of the book. 

My number one complaint about this book; apart from the editing in general, would be a complete lack of descriptions.  I have no idea what anyone or anything in this book actually looks like.  I find it ignorant to just assume that “everyone looks like a traditional Indian”.  That could mean so many different things depending on the section of India that they are in.  The most description we get is about minute details, such as eyes gouged out or the beads of the witch.  Also the description of a persona was missing.  Instead of describing a character in a way that the reader can feel their emotions, the emotions are given repeatedly with no real descriptions, such as might saying someone walked depressingly and spoke depressingly.  I wanted to yell: “Quit telling me and show me”. 

Overall I give this book 2/5 stars.  I give Danny Odato props for putting himself out there and getting a book onto paper which is more than a lot of people have accomplished.  However, with that being said, you would think that he would have had some people look it over and edit it for me.  There was a complete 3 page section at the end of a chapter that was exactly repeated a few chapters later.  With some editing and possibly a descriptive writing workshop, I think that this story could blossom into something that would make a more enjoyable read.  It caters to a lover of witchcraft, India, fiction, mystery, etc.

*I received this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A Human Element

A Human Element is written by Donna Galenti and is the first book in the Element Trilogy. The book revolves around 3 main characters, Laura Armstrong an adopted girl who exhibits amazing healing abilities, Ben Fieldstone, a boy whose past links to the site of her birth, and X-10 or Charlie who has a darkness within and has been fueled to anger and an obsession with Laura that has turned to black hatred as he is forced to watch her from afar.

A Human Element covers a span of time periods as we watch the characters grow and develop into whom they are, shaped by forces around them. Each of these characters knows loss in a painful way. Donna was not afraid to face painful and REAL issues head on. There are definitely some areas that graphically deal with encounters such as rape, addiction/depression and death that seem to follow each character. If you are overly sensitive to any of these issues you may find some parts are painful to read.

Galenti did an amazing job of bringing each character to life, whether ancillary or main, they will all be as if before your eyes. I also must commend her on adding in the realism and “humanity” aspect so that no character is 100% perfect or 100% evil.

This book is one of many dark twists and turns and leaving you with many questions that cause you to pass through the pages wanting to know more. Galenti is a superb storyteller and is one that we will see more from in the future. She has the gift of bringing her story to live, the visualization and attention to detail in both character and setting make her rise above many other independent authors that do not devote the time to show a true love for their story as it is transformed into the written form.

Overall, I award this book 4/5 stars. This is an amazing story in the stages of development, although it could definitely be cleaned up a bit (at least on the Kindle copy that I read). This would help eliminate any break in flow. Otherwise, the story was really great and definitely worth the read. This is definitely a story unlike any you have read before. If you are into sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, suspense, romance, fiction, young adult, etc you will definitely want to check this one out!

*I received this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review.

If you are interested in viewing the author spotlight that I wrote on the fabulous Donna Galenti, check it out here: Spotlight on Donna Galenti

Graeme Ing: Interview

I was given the opportunity to interview author Graeme Ing after reading his enjoyable book Necromancer.
You can see my review here: Necromancer Review

Please take this time to get to know Graeme a bit more and then also check out Necromancer as well as his other books:

How did you get into writing?

I began scribbling stories as a teen (a long time ago!) and even typing screenplays on a manual typewriter. I think it stemmed from my immersion into fantasy and sci-fi as a kid. I blame...er thank... my mother for that. As my career and life took over (like it does), I found little time to write, but returned to my lifelong dream of becoming an author about 8 or 9 years ago. With so many ideas, worlds and characters whizzing around my head, I'm not going to stop now.

What made you choose the topic of necromancy for your book?

Magic and creatures from beyond the grave are a solid staple of fantasy. To me, necromancy is a sinister subject that conjures images of decrepit sorcerers in dark cellars poring over ancient spellbooks to summon nasty creatures. I wanted to turn that trope on its head. I wanted necromancers to be protecting people from undead and spirits. I wanted a young hero, and I wanted to thrust a female into a male-dominated profession. That was the premise that drew me to writing this book. Necromancers can be heroes, right?

What was the religious background that you incorporated into the lives of your characters?

Like most books in the fantasy genre, I drew upon a "pagan" pantheon of Gods, but chose to leave it open as to whether such Gods had real power in the physical world. Like ancient times on Earth, each God or Goddess represented a sphere of life such as justice, nature, storms, or in the case of Lak (referred to many times in the book), God of the underworld and demons. In the city in the book, the temples to all the Gods are clustered in the mighty Temple Plaza, and I envisioned it likely that the populace would worship multiple Gods rather than a single one, or perhaps only Belaya, who is the mother of the Gods. I chose not to make religion a significant factor in the book, but more a backdrop. I was trying not to make any religious statements.

Is there an author that stands out to you as inspiration?  If so, what was it about this author that gave you inspiration?

Anne McCaffrey has inspired me more than any single author. I'm still incredibly impressed with the depth of her characters, her incredible imagination and how she wove in romance and tension without the need for indulgent sex or excessive violence. I found myself deeply engrossed in every character she wrote. If you've read The Harper hall trilogy and had your emotions ripped apart by the struggle of Menolly, then you know exactly what I mean. She's one of the rare authors that could make me actually cry because she wrote emotional drama so well.

Will there be another book to carry out the adventures of the characters remaining from Necromancer?

For sure! Not immediately. I have 3 or 4 other books that need writing first, but I definitely want to tell more about Maldren and Ayla's adventures together. I already have an outline for another book set in the city of Malkandrah, involving a daring swordswoman forced into a series of deadly actions to save her young daughter. Phyxia will make an appearance in that too.

What is your favorite target audience to write for?

That's a great question. Women I think. Traditionally, females in fantasy and sci-fi have had a bad rap, serving as victims or eye candy. Ayla (and Lissa from my first book "Ocean of Dust", and Majara from my upcoming romantic adventure) are free-spirited and adventurous female characters that I love to write about.

Do you have any advice that you would give to any aspiring authors out there?

Doubts and fears are a fact of life for an author, so don't let them deter you. Keep writing what you enjoy. Be bold, be creative, and keep pushing yourself to strengthen your writing craft. Despite recent successes in the Indie field, this isn't a get rich quick scheme. Writing involves long hours grappling with plot and character, building a reputation with readers one book at a time. Keep writing, even when you feel like you are writing junk. Keep writing. Keep editing. The satisfaction that comes when a reader enjoys your story is worth every hour at the keyboard. Chase your dream. Never give up.

Excerpt from Necromancer (Sinister):

She glanced at me then the ground below, but only clung tighter. A man appeared at the window, his teeth bared. Four scratches on his cheek oozed red. White drool speckled his trimmed beard. He clawed at her. She scrunched her eyes shut and wailed.

With a crack, the casement tore free, and she plummeted into my arms. We tumbled to the ground and the smoke surrounded us like a pack of wild animals.

I rolled to my feet, helped her up, and dragged her down the street, holding my breath as long as I could. She coughed and choked, resisting my pull. Murder flared in her eyes. I slapped her.

“Trust me. Hold your breath and stay with me.” I yanked her forward.

I shouldn’t have spoken. Smoke surged down my throat and I gagged.

Rage ignited inside me. I wanted to tear out her rabid eyes. My arm squeezed hers until she cried out, and I knew that I could break it with a twist, could snap her entire frail body. My gaze fixed on her pale, sweat-soaked throat. It invited me to choke the life from her, watch her struggle and finally go limp. My pulse quickened. Anger flooded my veins. Then my hands were around her throat, squeezing, crushing. She coughed and drooled thick, white saliva. Her blue eyes locked with mine but she put up no resistance. A smile twitched on her lips as my thumbs dug deeper. Ah, the sweet moment of superiority. How would it feel to kill? Delicious. It washed the tight pain from my head.

Something flickered deep within me. This was wrong.

Buy Links:

Amazon Kindle

Amazon Paperback

Barnes and Noble

iTunes

Kobo

About the Author:

Graeme Ing engineers original fantasy worlds, both YA and adult, but hang around, and you’ll likely read tales of romance, sci-fi, paranormal, cyberpunk, steampunk or any blend of the above.

Born in England in 1965, Graeme moved to San Diego, California in 1996 and lives there still. His career as a software engineer and development manager spans 30 years, mostly in the computer games industry. He is also an armchair mountaineer, astronomer, mapmaker, pilot and general geek. He and his wife, Tamara, share their house with more cats than he can count.

Connect With The Author:

Website

Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Google+

Goodreads

Amazon Author Page

Enter to win a $25 Amazon gift card! This giveaway will run the length of the tour. Open internationally. Enter through Rafflecopter.

Necromancer

The Necromancer is written by Graeme Ing and features a man by the name of Maldren that is from the detested guild of necromancers.  He proudly wears his robes of office and valiantly works to save the people from things they don’t even know exist.  In his attempt to obtain a title of Master from his guild he is given an apprentice to train.  This apprentice happens to be a girl, which is rare in a mainly male field of work. 

Necromancer hits the ground running and although it is action packed, Graeme introducing many new elements in a world of his creation.  He has a different religious structure and throws around different names in curses (such as Kristach) that have no bearing on a new reader.  A prologue would be a welcome addition to give the reader a frame of reference and some background information.

When an unknown terror is threatening the lives of people in his city, Maldren must go deep into the underground below the city to try to the source.  It seems left up to him to fight this darkness with a young apprentice by his side. 

Graeme did a superb job of creating monstrous terrors of the dark.  These creatures were very imaginative and worked as great extensions of the villainous elements of the book.  The created world of Necromancer is a pleasure to visit and the suspense and secrets make for an enjoyable read.

I enjoyed getting to know Maldren and his apprentice Ayla.  Ayla was spunky and brave and a great woman-empowering character.  Out of everyone in the book, I would have to say that I was most intrigued by the character of Phyxia and wished there was more of her in the novel. 

Overall I give this book 4/5 stars.  It was definitely an entertaining story and I loved getting to know each character and element of the story.  My main complaint is the lack of explanation for basic elements that make up the story that could provide the reader with a better background of the information.  I feel that the religious makeup could be more in depth.  Usually a slight explanation of the religion behind the story and where someone stands is an additional way to understand a character’s motives and way of thinking as they go about their journey from both the hero and the villain aspects.  If you enjoy fantasy, paranormal, dark fantasy, fiction, woman-empowering, mystery, suspense, horror, or thrillers you will definitely enjoy this book.

*I received this book for  free in exchange for a fair and honest review
 

EXCERPT  - (Underworld creature)

“This is dangerous,” I whispered. “I know what I’m doing.”

Did I? I handed her the lightstick and crept forward, nudging loose stones with my boot to clear the way, never taking my eyes from the archway. The room was filled with heaps of rubble. The spectral rope snaked behind a huge fragment of a fallen buttress lodged against one wall.

Come out, come out, wherever you are.
I drew a sizable ball of magic from my core and blasted a massive Dispel into the room, bathing the entire area in a purple flash.
The grak leaped onto the ceiling, sending rubble clattering in all directions. It scuttled toward me, upside down, hundreds of barbs along its ten legs clinging to the bare stone ceiling. A razor-ridged carapace protected an abdomen the size of a barrel, yet the thing stretched eight feet in length, counting its forked, bony tail and oversize head. Two spheres of flylike eyes reflected a distorted version of my look of horror. Saw-toothed pincers clacked repeatedly and its antennae quivered, probing the air in front of it.

I stumbled backward, my heart thumping in my ears.

Kristach. I’d hoped it’d be smaller.

Please take the time to also check out my interview with the talented author of this novel: Graeme Ing.

Graeme Ing Interview

Buy Links:

Amazon Kindle

Amazon Paperback

Barnes and Noble

iTunes

Kobo

About the Author:

Graeme Ing engineers original fantasy worlds, both YA and adult, but hang around, and you’ll likely read tales of romance, sci-fi, paranormal, cyberpunk, steampunk or any blend of the above.

Born in England in 1965, Graeme moved to San Diego, California in 1996 and lives there still. His career as a software engineer and development manager spans 30 years, mostly in the computer games industry. He is also an armchair mountaineer, astronomer, mapmaker, pilot and general geek. He and his wife, Tamara, share their house with more cats than he can count.

Connect With The Author:

Website

Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Google+

Goodreads

Amazon Author Page

Enter to win a $25 Amazon gift card! This giveaway will run the length of the tour. Open internationally. Enter through Rafflecopter.

Life Lived Twice

I received this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Life lived twice started out with an interesting Prologue of a dream state.  It was written by Sherri Wouters.  It is about a 20-year-old girl named Tess. 

Tess has lived a sheltered life, feeling fairly dependent upon her parents.  At the age of 5 her family uprooted and moved and Tess can remember that it had something to do with her, yet she has no idea why and no one will tell her.  After spending some time with relatives, Tess is flying home feeling very anxious about finally moving out on her own.  In her anxiety she goes into a book store and bumps into a stranger trying to grab for the same book.  The touch is electric and by the time she looks into his eyes she feels a connection deep within herself; out of nowhere she calls him “Addison.”

Tess finds herself wondering on the flight home where she would come up with a name that she has never heard and say it to a man that she had never met.  Being assured that the stranger’s name was not Addison she drifts off to sleep… that is when the dreams/visions begin.

This book had excellent flow; I had a hard time putting it down for day to day obligations such as sleep.  It was so enlightening to read this open-minded spiritual experience that Sherri has brilliantly transformed into a book.  I could feel myself within the story with the characters and in the landscape.  The characters were “real” people, and easy to connect with. 

Life Lived Twice was very good at easing a more hesitant reader into a new realm of spiritual beliefs for one that might not be quite as familiar with the amazing universe we are all a part of.  Sherry wrote this in such a manner that I find myself wondering if she is relatable to Tess or at the very least to Tess’s aunt. 

This is a romance that is written in a way that can be compared to traditional historical romance stories, and yet stands out on completely on its own at the same time.  My only complaint of the book was the ending.  I felt as though the ending was not much closure, and was hoping for at the very least an Epilogue.

Sherri personally wrote to me about my comments to inform me that due to fan curiosity and request that she has a sequel in the works that will be released in 2015.  As I excitedly await more to this story I can confidently give this book 5 out of 5 stars.  Sherri obviously has the gift of storytelling and I hope that we will see more of her in the future with more than just Tess’s story.  If you are into historical fiction, romance, spirituality, mystery, fiction, coming into one’s own, you will love this book. 

Omens Review

Let me just say again the Kelley Armstrong is always in the forefront of my favorite authors of all-times.  She sealed me in with the witty and imaginative Women of the Otherworld Series, and then proceeded to show off her prowess with the Crime based Nadia Stafford series (which is finally about to get the 3rd book released this November!  She truly showed her unwavering skills as an author and her versatility to be able to jump between characters and genres and then I read her young teen novel Loki's Wolves which caught my attention in a way I would have never imagined (Loki's Wolves Review).   This brings us to her latest book in a new series: Omens.

Omens is told in a way similar and yet completely different from any other book that Kelley has previously written.  I loved it!  She usually goes with a main character and the story is told from that
point of view, with each book being told from a point of view of someone else.  In Omens, Kelley tells the majority of the story through Sophia/Eden's eyes.  However, every few chapters you will have new insight into what you just read thanks to a short one or two story page from someone else's point of view either watching Sophia during her story telling and mostly after she had just left a location to help add to the mystery and drop clues to the story.  This added a fun layer of intrigue and clues so that you were trying to constantly re-evaluate your pick for the "bad guy."

Omens shares with all of Kelley's other books the ability to help you connect with her characters.  She brings them to life on the page!  You feel like you are working on the case right beside Sophia, trying to uncover clues of her past, and you meet the other characters and feel her feelings along-side her.

The book Omens as I have hinted is about debutante 24-year-old Olivia Taylor-Jones, the only daughter of a wealthy, prominent Chicago family and engaged to a Tech Company CEO with political aspirations.  Her life is basically perfect, until she learns that she is really adopted and her birth parents are serial killers.  She finds herself running away from the life she knows with nobody trying to stop her.  This leads her to Cainsville, Illinois, a unique town with the hint of supernatural going on
all around her.  She finds herself partnered with her mother's former lawyer to try to dig up all of the facts and find out if her parents really are convicted killers or if somebody got it wrong.

I don't want to say TOO much more about the actual story except that there is definitely some folklore laced into the story and a lot of Celtic (mostly Welsh) references that add another layer of fantastic to the already spectacular story.  I highly reccommend this book.  I don't recommend reading too many of the reviews as most describe cainsville as "creepy" and "spooky" and I never once felt this way.  Definitely feels like there is more to it to be sure, but it didn't seem to have a dark town to
me, more of a mischievous one. C  I couldn't put it down and finished it in two days which is a LOT of reading for my schedule.  It was well worth it and I can't wait to read the next Armstrong novel, I know it won't disappoint.  Check it out and I am sure you will become enveloped in the world of Cainsville as well!

*Happy Friday the 13th to all of my readers!  I was so happy to finish such an apt topic book on this day!  Enjoy!

Omens Kelley Armstrong site